Here is one of the most thorough and accessible introductions to the Tibetan Buddhist world view ever written. Indestructible Truth leads the reader into the vast and colorful world of Tibetan Buddhism, including its history, philosophy, and meditation practices, presented as elements of a practical, living spirituality. Reginald Ray, Ph.D., elucidates complex and sophisticated teachings and practices in nontechnical language, using engaging stories and personal anecdotes to illustrate his points. Indestructible Truth shows Tibetan Buddhism in its traditional form but also reveals how it is readily applicable to the problems and challenges of modern life in the West.

Reginald A. Ray is Professor of Buddhist Studies at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, and a member of the graduate faculty of the Religious Studies Department at the University of Colorado. An acharya (senior teacher) in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa, he is also Teacher in Residence at Shambhala Mountain Center in Colorado. He has written extensively on the history, philosophy, and practice of Indian and Tibetan Buddhism.

Table of Contents: Indestructible Truth

Acknowledgments ixIntroduction 1Tibet: People and Place 7

PART ONE: The Sacred Environment 151. The Cosmos and Its Inhabitants 17 2. Living in the Sacred Cosmos 47

PART TWO: Tibet's Story 653. The Indian Wellspring 67 4. Foundations: The Early Spreading 89 5. Nyingma: The Ancient School 103 6. The Later Spreading: Kadam and Sakya 130 7. The Later Spreading: Kagyu 152 8. Modern Traditions: Geluk 189 9. Modern Traditions: The Ri-me (Nonsectarian) Movement 207

PART THREE: Core Teachings 227 10. Hinayana: The View 241 11.Hinayana: The Practice and Result 280 12. Mahayana: The View 311 13. Mahayana: The Practice and Result 331

PART FOUR: Buddhist Philosophy: The Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma 361 14. The First Turning: Abhidharma 367 15. The Second Turning: Madhyamaka 392 16. The Third Turning: Buddha-Nature 419